GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Open Government Report 2014

To institutionalize a culture of transparent and open government, accountability, and to expand
opportunities for resident participation and collaboration, this Report describes how the
Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has and will continue to develop
and enhance transparency, public participation, and collaboration. In accordance with Mayor’s
Order 2014-170, this report addresses the following topics:
1)

Transparency
Describe the steps your agency has taken or plans to take to be more transparent.
Please include a description of:


How and to what extent your agency shares information with the public, e.g.
publication of information in the District register and on the agency website,
press releases, and documents in the agency’s FOIAXpress reading room.
o DHCD has revised its website homepage to make it a more user-friendly
tool for District residents including:
 “DHCD Live Reports” features daily tweeter updates
 The “What’s New” section offers highlights on media advisories,
press releases, reports, Solicitation for Offers, Request for
Proposals, public meeting notices and program announcements
 “Featured News” offers the latest in DHCD press releases,
newsletters, testimonies and advisories
 The “DHCD Project Pipeline Report” provides stakeholders with
real time dates on the status of affordable housing development
 Viewing our “Upcoming Events” section affords residents a short
listing of DHCD meetings, workshops and outreach events
o DHCD releases an annual report each fiscal year (October 1st to
September 30th) highlighting the Department’s accomplishments, policy
and procedure revisions, financials and overall performance. This
publication is produced and published under the guidance of the DHCD
Office of Communications and Community Outreach. To view the annual
reports please see the below listing:
 FY 2013 Annual Report (see link:
http://dhcd.dc.gov/publication/dc-department-housing-andcommunity-development-fy-2013-annual-report )
 FY 2012 Annual Report (see link:
http://dhcd.dc.gov/publication/dc-department-housing-andcommunity-development-fy-2012-annual-report )
1

o The DHCD website is a wealth of information for all stakeholders from
media, to residents, to development partners. In addition to renaming the
tabs, “Communities”, “Development” and “Residents” to better speak to
stakeholders there are several locations on the site that has resourceful
information.
 Press releases can be found here:
http://dhcd.dc.gov/newsroom/press-releases
 Media advisories can be found here:
http://dhcd.dc.gov/newsroom/advisories
 Agency publications can be found here:
http://dhcd.dc.gov/publications
 Solicitations can be found here: http://dhcd.dc.gov/node/19152


How the agency meets its obligations pursuant to the District’s Freedom of
Information Act and Open Meetings Act.
o The DHCD makes records and reports available online to the public, if the
records exist. In cases where these records exist but are not yet available
online, DHCD is working to provide them as soon as possible. The current
available FOIA information is listed below:
 Employee Salary Information (Please note that this is the complete
listing of District employees. Agency designation is located in
column two.)
 Administrative Staff Manuals and Instructions
 Final Opinions Made in the Adjudication of Cases
 Statements of Policy
 P Card Purchases
 Awarded Contracts
 DHCD's FY14 Budget
 Minutes of Public Meetings
 Housing Regulations
 DHCD Performance Plans
 District-wide FOIA Reports
 DHCD Organizational Chart
 Submit Feedback



Steps your agency will take to increase public access to information.
o We are further revamping the DHCD homepage and subsidiary online
platforms by:
 Revising DCHousingSearch.org, and our programs/divisions to
include Residential and Community Service Division, and the
Inclusionary Zoning Program
 Continuing updates of Community Interest projects such as:
- Big-K Site Development
- Build Green DC
2

-






Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDO)
Developments
- Neighborhood Revitalization Program
- Rent/Income Limits
Implementing a formalized process to handle
marketing/communication requests to insure an accurate,
consistent message is reaching the public
DHCD Stakeholder Reports are distributed to ANC, CBO, sister
agencies, partners, community leaders and stakeholders
All public media activity is posted
Continuous social media updates via the DHCD Twitter and
Facebook feeds



Steps your agency will take, including an implementation timeline, to webcast
live and archive on the internet board or commission meetings. (This question
only applies to agencies that are overseen or advised by a board or
commission that is subject to the Open Meetings Act.)
o All of the DHCD meeting spaces have been equipped with video
teleconferencing hardware that will enable public meetings at the
agency to be viewed online as well as recorded and posted on various
medians as podcasts.



How your agency has taken or plans to take steps to make more of its data
available to the public.

The Department of Housing and Community Development is working closely
with the Office of the City Administrator (OCA) and the Office of the Chief
Technology Officer (OCTO) to identify a significant number of datasets that
OCA and OCTO expect to publish online later this year. If no dataset from
DHCD is selected to be included in this 2014 release, we will continue to work
with OCA and OCTO to identify datasets appropriate to publish in 2015. In the
future, requirements for open data reporting will be provided by the Chief Data
Officer.
2)

Public Engagement and Participation
Describe the steps your agency has taken or plans to take to enhance or expand
opportunities for the public to participate in agency decision-making. Please include
a description of:


How your agency provides online access to proposed rules and regulations
and secures public input on them. Please list links to specific websites.
o The DHCD provides online access to rules and regulations at the
following websites:
 Administrative Staff Manuals and Instructions
3










Final Opinions Made in the Adjudication of Cases
Statements of Policy
DHCD's FY14 Budget
Minutes of Public Meetings
Housing Regulations
District-wide FOIA Reports
Submit Feedback

How your agency shares information and resources to keep the public
properly informed, e.g. community meetings, public hearings, FAQs, and
ways the public can provide input such as Twitter, grade.dc.gov, email
contacts.
o DHCD shares information and resources to inform the public through
various mediums and also asks for feedback from District residents
and businesses through:
 Community Meetings
 Housing Production Trust Fund public meetings
 Events and Outreach activities
 Community Based Non Profit Organizations
 Newspaper Ads
 Social Media – Blogs, Twitter and Facebook
 Ask the Director
o Frequently Asked Questions can be found in various locations:
 DHCD FAQs: http://dhcd.dc.gov/page/dhcd-frequently-askedquestions

3)



How your agency identifies stakeholders and invites their participation.
o Stakeholders are identified through attendance at DHCD events and
meetings, CBOs and our partnerships with sister agencies, developers,
landlords, property managers, realty agents, bankers, general
contractors.



Steps your agency will take to improve public engagement and participation
including any new feedback tools or mechanisms the agency is considering.
o The DHCD is using the “DHCD Project Pipeline Report” to connect
with stakeholders on the real time status of affordable housing in the
District.
o Twitter, Facebook and the WordPress Blog are providing new
opportunities for public engagement and gathering feedback from
stakeholders.

Collaboration

4

Describe the steps your agency has taken or plans to take to enhance or expand
cooperation among departments, other governmental agencies, the public, and nonprofit and private entities in fulfilling its obligations. Please include a description of:


How your agency currently collaborates with the above parties. Please list
links to specific websites if appropriate.
o The Architectural Research Institute (ARI) was founded through
collaboration between the University of the District of Columbia and
the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
Homestead Preservation Program. The Homestead Preservation Program
is now the Property Acquisition Disposition Division (PADD) and Single
Family Residential Rehabilitation Program (SFRRP). DHCD has been
ARI’s primary client for the past twenty plus years. This collaboration
provides comprehensive architectural services allowing for the
reclamation of the city’s vacant, boarded and run down housing,
rehabilitating them for low- and middle- income residents, thus giving
them the opportunity to become homeowners. Since its inception in 1987,
ARI has provided architectural services on the renovation and
rehabilitation of more than 606 homes and apartments at a cost of more
than S90 million, positively impacting thousands of District residents in
all eights wards of D.C.
The Architectural Research Institute (ARI) provides cross-disciplinary
research and service to support livable, sustainable, global cities. As the
clinical arm of UDC’s Department of Architecture and Community
Development, ARI is tasked with the community service component as
part of the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and
Environmental Sciences, home of the District’s land grant programs.
http://www.udc.edu/college_of_urban_agriculture_and_environmental_stu
dies/architectural_research_institute
o Multiple District agencies have programs mitigating health risks posed by
environmental contaminants such as lead, mold, and carbon monoxide.
DHCD worked with DDOE, DCHA, FEMS, and other agencies to catalog
and provide status on environmental health hazards in the District’s
affordable housing stock.
o As part of National Home-Ownership Month, DHCD worked with
community partners to host a housing expo in June 2014. The Expo
provides resources for all residents of the District, including information
for renters, homeowners, potential homeowners, landlords and residents
facing foreclosure. This is a partnership with local CBOs, realtors,
financial institutions, local vendors, service providers and many more.
Activities include hands on demonstrations, classes on financial and
homeownership issues, presentations about DHCD programs and how to
5

access them, and an exhibitor hall with private, public and community
based organizations offering an array of products, services, and programs
for District residents.
o DHCD brought together housing development government and
nongovernmental stakeholders to develop standards for site selection and
urban design which met the standards of Healthy by Design. DHCD then
implemented the Healthy by Design standards for evaluating and selecting
projects for affordable housing.
o PAMD began an initiative to work with Community Based Organizations
(CBO) to provide post-closing counseling as well as work with the Greater
Washington Urban League (GWUL) to ensure client long-term success.
o PADD will work with the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and
Economic Development (DMPED) to identify possible sites for business
incubators as outlined in The 5 year Economic Development Plan.


Steps your agency will take to improve collaboration with the above parties
including any new feedback tools or mechanisms the agency is considering,
e.g. prizes, competitions, and other innovative methods.
o DHCD is consistently working with partner agencies, developers,
community based organizations and residents to continue to
proficiently gauge housing needs, attain innovative ideas and
suggestions and further leverage resources that will allow for the
continued development and preservation of affordable housing for low
and moderate income residents for years to come. This will be done
through various focus groups, community meetings, public hearings,
consolidated Notice of Funding Availability, brain trusts with public
and private entities and a host of other tactics.

6